Category Archives: Gaming

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This isn’t just one of those regular facebook style stupid social quizzes, this is a real psychological categorisation test to see what kind of gamer you are, mostly in an MMO context but for me it definitely extends to other types of games.

I’m firmly in the Explorer camp, which was confirmed recently at #PAXAus where I needed to see and buy ALL THE THINGS.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, or you’re just not that into video gaming culture, you’re probably aware that PAX recently came to Melbourne, Australia. For the benefit of the rock dwellers, PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) is a massive convention celebrating the gaming culture and community, talking about a lot of gaming issues good and bad, and showing off a lot of cool new games and technology. More info about PAXAus is available on the aptly named PAXAus website.

There were plenty of great things about the convention, but the best story I can think of to explain the spirit of the event happened on the second day in the Queue room (named for the great Prof. Waitington Queue, inventor of the social phenomenon known as ‘queuing’). Continue reading →

I asked on facebook about getting proper versions of these but they haven’t responded, so here’s some I cropped from screenshots. Hopefully they’ll release real ones, but these actually don’t look too bad even set on “stretch to fit”!

*NOTE* Not licensed, just fan-made.

UPDATE: The versions I have are just made from screenshots and thus will work as simple jpeg’s on even the tinyiest netbook/tablet, however if you’re looking for something really impressive and serious, check out this post: http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=121782

Since I quit WoW again a few months ago, I’ve been spending a lot of that now-spare time buying way too many games on Steam and playing them start to finish. At the moment I’m deep into Mass Effect 2 and loving it, but it’s making me feel nostalgic for some of my other all-time favourite and best built games. It’s too early to call ME2 a favourite, but I’m definately enjoying it and despite not having a ‘jump’ function, it’s got a really good control style both in and out of the ship.

One of the games I’m nostalgic about is an old one from 2001 called Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos. It’ll always stand out as the best space-piracy game I think I’ll ever play, with very easy and intuitive controls and a nice semi-sandbox feel to is that you really need in any open space game. You really had to size up the convoy of ships before you attacked and took their cargo pods, and with the space-police and other mercinary escorts around you had to be smart and quick with the controls. I forget most of the story now, but I remember it being pretty great.

Not many people have played it, or even heard of it, so it’s also one of those little gaming gems that never makes it onto any lists or into many reviews. I just wish I could buy it on Steam.